


you were a kaleidoscope

by cyclogenesis (addictedkitten)



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Girlfriends (Implied), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 13:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15950252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addictedkitten/pseuds/cyclogenesis
Summary: It’s supremely unfair that Michael’s spent the last several shows talking about Luke’s attractiveness, unbuttoning his shirts for him in front of the fans, and generally sexually harassing him in his work environment, and now that Luke just wants a cuddle Michael’s acting like he doesn’t have a single one to spare.





	you were a kaleidoscope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elliebird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliebird/gifts).



> This is a belated birthday present for my darling [Loey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliebird/pseuds/elliebird), who asked for present day Clemmings. <3

It’s supremely unfair that Michael’s spent the last several shows talking about Luke’s attractiveness, unbuttoning his shirts for him in front of the fans, and generally sexually harassing him in his work environment, and now that Luke just wants a cuddle Michael’s acting like he doesn’t have a single one to spare. Luke was really hoping that since they coaxed Michael out this evening he could at least get a little drunken touch, but when he tried to sling an arm around Michael’s shoulder Michael just wriggled away like a recalcitrant kitten and went to get another drink. 

“Cuddle me, Cal,” Luke whines, “Michael hates me.”

Calum obligingly lifts an arm for Luke to curl up under, so Luke plasters himself to Calum’s side and wraps an arm around his waist. Luke can feel his throat move when Calum takes another drink of his beer. He inhales deep, appreciating the scent of him - Calum smells like Ashton, actually, which means he probably stole Ashton’s sexy vanilla leather cologne again, or something. Anyway, it’s a good cuddle, if not the exact cuddle Luke was hoping for this evening. 

“Michael doesn’t hate you,” Calum says. “He’s just getting a drink. He’ll come back.”

“Will he?” Luke asks, feeling pitiful about it all. Maybe it’s weird to miss Michael like he does, when he sees the guy every day. Still, he misses the old Michael, the one who would cuddle up with him and share beds with him and do other stuff with him sometimes. “I’m gonna go find him. He probably got lost.”

Calum makes a disgruntled noise as Luke climbs bodily over him to get out of the booth, then gets over it immediately because Ashton returns with another drink for him. Luke leaves Calum lit up like the sun with Ashton’s attention back on him, only slightly jealous that apparently some people in the band can still remain clingy best friends even though they’re older now or whatever. 

It’s dark as hell in this bar, so moodily neon-lit that Luke wishes Andy would have come along to take advantage of the aesthetic and get a couple of good photos. He’d try for a selfie but he never likes himself in photos unless Petunia’s in the frame. He misses her. He misses his dog, and he misses LA, and he misses Michael. 

Michael’s nowhere to be found at the bar, so Luke takes a lap to check the dance floor. He doesn’t have any luck and so, feeling like a creep, he looks around until he sees a likely-looking hallway. It’s as poorly lit as the rest of the place, the only light coming from the bathroom door at the end that opens to reveal Michael, his eyebrows raised when he sees Luke. 

“Hey,” Michael says. He goes to brush past Luke and head back to the table, but Luke stops him easily enough, the hallway narrow and his body broad enough that he gets away with it, startling Michael so he just goes when Luke backs him up against the wall. The light on him is neon fuchsia, his green eyes wide. He looks like a picture, like everything familiar to Luke, like home. Maybe Luke’s a little tipsy, that’s why he lets himself grab onto Michael, his arms around Michael’s waist, holding him close. Michael hugs him back though, going with it for the moment. “You drunk?” he asks, soft against Luke’s ear. Luke’s pressed so close their cheeks brush, so it’s a nuzzle when he nods. “We can head back if you want. Leave Ash and Cal to it.” 

Luke wants to believe that Michael’s saying that because he wants to look after Luke, not because he’ll take any excuse to bail. “Maybe I just love you,” he mumbles. Time was he didn’t need an excuse to cuddle up, neither of them did. Back then Michael would say horny stuff about him and then he would lie around draped over Luke all day afterward, instead of this all talk, no action business now. No wonder Luke’s frustrated, Michael’s turned into a fucking tease. 

“Love you too,” Michael says, which is at least something. It feels good to hear it, low and just for him beneath the noise of the bar. Michael squeezes him close, sighing but not pushing him away, running his knuckles up and down Luke’s spine and then reaching up to cup the back of Luke’s neck. 

Maybe he’s a little drunk too. The thought makes Luke brave enough to ask, “How come you never kiss me anymore?”

Michael goes still, and Luke thinks he’s gone too far, ruined it, but then Michael relaxes again like it’s a conscious effort. “You know why,” he says.

“I miss you,” Luke tells him, his lips against Michael’s throat. He leaves a kiss there, soft against Michael’s beating pulse, pulls back a little because it doesn’t seem fair to hide anything from Michael, not now. It’s just easier when they can kiss, that’s all. It doesn’t have anywhere to go otherwise, all this feeling Luke has in him. He wants Michael too bad to always tell that want no, to try and crush it down and pretend it isn’t there. Kissing used to quiet it, at least. Luke misses when the want in him felt good. “Do you miss me too?” He can’t bring himself to let Michael go fully, leaving one arm still wrapped around Michael’s waist when he lets his other hand move up, touch Michael again, his soft waist and then his stubbled cheek. The neon sign behind them blinks on and off, Michael’s face washed in pink, then in dusky grey. 

After too long a pause Michael says, like it hurts him, “I hope you know I do.”

Luke can’t speak, too many words gathered in his throat crowding each other out. 

In the end it’s Michael that leans in first, tilting his head up and pulling Luke that last inch into him, his hand on the back of Luke’s neck guiding him into the kiss. Michael’s mouth is as soft as he remembered, softer even, giving when Luke opens for him. It stokes in Luke something hot and desperate, hungrier still now that he’s gotten a taste, and he pins Michael against the wall to take his fill, kissing him hard and needy, taking what he can have while it’s on offer. 

Half the time when they used to do this it would end in giggles, one of them breaking away to gasp and the other turning it into a wrestling match, hips kept carefully back so no one would feel anything awkward. It’s been too long now for anything like that, Luke too eager for the press of Michael’s body against his to care that Michael can feel how hard he is for it. Michael’s hot against him, holding him just as tightly, his teeth dragging over Luke’s lower lip, tongue touching his just right. Their kisses start soft and then get rougher, almost bruising, lips a wet slide. They kiss until they can’t anymore, too breathless to keep going, and Luke fights the urge to giggle anyway when he tears himself away, too giddy on the feel of it, remembering what it was like to feel like they were getting away with something. 

“You wanna cuddle with me tonight? Like old times?” Michael asks. His cheeks are flushed red, and he looks seventeen again, young and hopeful. 

For a moment Luke’s heart is so full of love that he would agree to anything Michael wanted; it’s a relief that this is what he asked for, something that Luke can give. 

“Yeah,” Luke says. “Yeah, please.”

(It’s not something that should go any farther, he knows that. But for tonight, with Michael squeezing his hand and then leading them out, it’s enough. It’s definitely enough.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This fic is on Tumblr if you'd to [share it](http://cyclogenesis.tumblr.com/post/177941928389/you-were-a-kaleidoscope-michael-cliffordluke). I welcome feedback and love getting comments! If you'd like to talk to me about this story, or just say hello, my [askbox is always open](http://cyclogenesis.tumblr.com/ask).


End file.
